Social networks, group exercise, and anxiety among college students

Boabom: A Feasible and Acceptable Approach to Helping College Students Manage Stress

Objective: College students in the United States report high rates of psychological health concerns. Psychological and physical complementary health approaches have been found to be protective for college students. The aims of this study were to assess the feasibility and acceptability of Boabom, a martial art, with college students and to explore any changes in psychosocial outcomes. Participants: Twenty-six college students (25 females; mean age 21.73 years) participated in an 8-week Boabom intervention. Methods: Feasibility measures were attendance and retention of participants; acceptability was based on participants' cognitive and emotional responses to Boabom and was determined through analysis of focus group data. Psychosocial outcomes were assessed through analyses of pre- and postintervention measures of mindfulness, perceived stress, anxiety, depression, resilience, perceived health, and life satisfaction. Results: The Boabom intervention was feasible as 23 of 26 participants attended at least six of eight classes, and 22 participants attended the last class. Students found the intervention acceptable, with three themes emerging from the focus group data to describe the participants' experience with Boabom: (1) disengaging from constant, daily stress and breathing and moving as a group leads to sense of calm, (2) empowerment through incremental mastery of skills, and (3) recognition of the value of health benefits to be gained. Participants reported positive changes in mindfulness, perceived stress, anxiety, depression, resilience, perceived health, and life satisfaction from pre- to postintervention. Conclusions: Boabom may be a feasible and acceptable offering for college students; still, further piloting with other college student populations is recommended.

The role of boredom proneness and self-control in the association between anxiety and smartphone addiction among college students: a multiple mediation model

Background

Smartphone addiction has been found to be a widespread public health issue, especially among youth. Previous studies reported a significant association between anxiety and smartphone addiction, but the underlying mechanism in this relationship is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating roles of boredom proneness and self-control in the relationship between anxiety and smartphone addiction.

Methods

Self-reported measures of anxiety, boredom proneness, self-control and smartphone addiction were administered to 1,526 Chinese college students.

Results

Smartphone addiction scores varied between 10 and 60 with an average of 30.89 ± 10.57 points. Anxiety had a direct and positive effect on smartphone addiction (effect = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.11-0.25), and an indirect effect on smartphone addiction through boredom proneness (effect = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.06-0.15) and self-control (effect = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.13-0.20). Boredom proneness and self-control sequentially mediated the relationship between anxiety and smartphone addiction (effect = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.10-0.15).

Conclusion

Anxiety is positively associated with smartphone addiction, and boredom proneness and self-control are important mediators in this relationship. Strengthening self-control and mitigating boredom could prevent smartphone addiction in anxious college students.

I'll be there for you: The effects of exercise engagement on social support provision within undergraduate students' personal networks

Objective: To use social network analysis to examine exercise participation relative to health and wellness support provision within students' networks. Participants: 513 undergraduates from a large private university completed online surveys. Methods: Multilevel modeling assessed exercise engagement at the individual and dyadic level and support provision from network members. Results: More support was perceived by first and second-year students and individuals who reported more exercise engagement. Significant others, roommates, siblings, female network members, and those who exercised often provided greater support. Greater support was reported when both the participant and their social tie were involved in the campus group-exercise program. Conclusion: This study suggests individual and dyadic-level exercise was related to undergraduates feeling more supported. Findings support campus group exercise programs as opportunities to create reciprocal supportive ties for college students. Future research could further explore ways exercise and social support, particularly in group settings, affect health and well-being.

Trends in Collegiate Student-Athlete Mental Health in the National College Health Assessment, 2011-2019

CONTEXT

Recently, the athletic training community has paid increased attention to collegiate student-athlete mental health, mental health treatment-seeking behavior, and the effects of mental health factors on athletic and academic performance. Ongoing efforts to better educate and equip athletic trainers to help student-athletes in this regard should result in improved mental health-related outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To examine changes in the mental health of student-athletes over the past decade compared with that of nonathlete students.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Colleges and universities in the United States.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Varsity athletes (athletes; n = 54 479) and nonathlete students (nonathletes; n = 448 301) who completed the National College Health Assessment between 2011 and 2019.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Surveys included responses (self-reported) to questions in 5 mental health-related categories: recent mental health symptoms, recent mental health diagnosis, mental health treatment-seeking behavior, receiving mental health information from the institution, and the recent effect of mental health factors on academic performance.

RESULTS

Athletes consistently described lower symptom and diagnosis rates compared with nonathletes, except for attempted suicide, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Rates of diagnosis increased over time in both groups but remained lower in athletes. Treatment-seeking behavior and openness to future treatment increased over time in both groups but remained lower in athletes. Athletes received more information on stress reduction, substance abuse, eating disorders, and handling distress or violence compared with nonathletes. Both groups received information more frequently over time. Athletes reported fewer academic effects, especially for depression and anxiety, but these effects grew over time in both groups. The effects of injuries and extracurricular activities on academic performance were greater in athletes than in nonathletes.

CONCLUSIONS

Athletes described overall lower levels of mental health symptoms, diagnoses, and academic effects compared with nonathletes. Whereas the rates in nonathletes climbed over the past decade, the rates in athletes broadly remained flat or climbed less rapidly. Increasingly positive attitudes toward treatment were encouraging, but the deficit in athletes relative to nonathletes persisted. Ongoing efforts of athletic trainers to educate athletes and guide them to mental health resources are needed to continue, or better yet to accelerate, the observed positive trends in information dissemination and treatment-seeking behavior.

The effect of physical exercise on the anxiety of college students in the post-pandemic era: The mediating role of social support and proactive personality

In order to study the current situation of the anxiety of college students in the post-pandemic era and the effect of physical exercise on anxiety, this study explores the influence of social support and proactive personality as mediating variables on the anxiety of college students from the perspective of physical exercise. Firstly, anxiety symptoms and anxious emotions are defined. Secondly, a questionnaire survey is conducted for a well-known university in a certain city, and different questionnaire scales are developed from the physical exercise, anxiety, social support, and proactive personality assessment of college students. Finally, the results of the survey are statistically analyzed to explore the relieving effect of physical exercise on anxiety. The results reveal that there is a significant gender difference in the level of physical exercise, and the amount of physical exercise of the male students is generally higher than that of female students. In addition, the intensity, time, and frequency of exercise of male students are more than that of female students, but there is no obvious difference between them and whether they were only children. Physical exercise habits, social support, proactive personality traits, and anxiety of college students have a significant correlation. Through the analysis of the chain mediation effect, Ind2 (0.0140) is the largest coefficient among the three paths, indicating that the path of influencing social support through physical exercise habits, followed by affecting proactive personality traits, and then impacting anxiety has the strongest explanatory force. According to the results, strategies to relieve the anxiety of college students are given. This study can provide a reference for the research on the methods to alleviate their anxiety under the influence of the epidemic.

Egocentric network composition and structure relative to violence victimization among a sample of college students

ObjectiveTo use egocentric network analysis to understand how composition and structure of egonetworks relate to violence victimization among college students. Participants: 697 students from a large southeastern university completed online surveys. Methods: Hierarchical logistic regression analyses assessed the relationship between egocentric network variables and a history of violence victimization. Results: Being connected to others with a history of violence victimization increased a student's odds of indicating their own history of physical, emotional, and sexual violence victimization. Having less dense egonetworks was related to sexual violence victimization, while being connected to less people of the same gender was related to emotional violence victimization. Conclusion: The way college students' networks are composed and structured could help in understanding violence victimization in this population, and should be considered in prevention and reactionary efforts on campuses. These findings add to the current literature largely focused on individual-level risk factors related to violence.

I CrossFit; Do You? Cross-Sectional Peer Similarity of Physical Activity Behavior in a Group High Intensity Functional Training Setting

Physical activity (PA) is essential for physical, mental, and emotional health; however, few adults engage in enough PA. Group exercise environments such as CrossFit can promote sustained exercise habits through social influence, support, and norms. This cross-sectional study aims to provide evidence for PA social influence at CrossFit. CrossFit members (n = 62) reported PA, workout logging frequency, and members at their gym they: (1) work out with and (2) go to with personal matters. Separate linear network autocorrelation models (LNAMs) determined if individuals reported similar PA scores as those of their social ties at CrossFit that they work out with and/or those they go to for personal matters. Participants reported a mean of 2740.55 MET minutes/week (SD = 1847.08), working out with a mean of 9.89 members (SD = 6.26), and speaking to a mean of 2.66 members about personal matters (SD = 3.68). A person's PA was significantly associated with that of their ties they go to with personal matters (PE_p = 0.08, SE_p = 0.02), but was not associated with the PA of their ties they work out with (PE_w = 0.02, SE_w = 0.01). Social influence on PA levels was present when a deeper connection is made between members. Fostering and promoting deeper connections between members may help promote PA and continued exercise habits.

The prevalence risk of anxiety and its associated factors among university students in Malaysia: a national cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental health problems worldwide, including Malaysia, and this issue has gained concern and attention from many, including experts and authorities globally. While average levels of stress and worry may help to motivate students to perform well in their studies, excessive feelings will increase their level of anxiety.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted at selected government and private universities throughout Malaysia. A total of 1851 students participated in this study. The students were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires, including socio-demographic, academic, and psychosocial characteristics. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire was used to measure the prevalence risk of anxiety among the students. Chi-square analysis was conducted to find the relationship between the variables and anxiety, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors.

RESULTS

The response rate was 97.90%, where 1821 out of 1860 students participated in the study. The prevalence risk of anxiety in this study was recorded at 29%. The data revealed that academic year, financial support for the study, alcohol consumption, poor sleep quality, body mass index (BMI), having a good friend in the university, having doubt regarding the future, actively involved in the society, and having problems with other students and lecturer(s) were significantly associated with risk of anxiety; with the academic year as the primary predictor.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the current prevalence risk of anxiety among university students in Malaysia. The outcome of this study can serve as the evident baseline data and help with the development of specific interventions in addressing and managing the issue appropriately.

Compulsive Internet Pornography Use and Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of University Students in the United States

Background

The sustained rise in negative mental health reports among university students is a source of continued global concern, and investigation continues into potential contributors to this rise. This includes the increased prevalence of risky sexual behaviors. Related is the increased prevalence of pornography use. Our study sought to explore the potential relationship between compulsive use of pornography and mental health in university students.

Methods

Our sample consisted of university students (N = 1031; 34% male, 66% female) from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, Ohio. An anonymous survey was sent to all students at the university over the age of 18. The survey was comprised of the following: (1) demographic questions, (2) questions on pornography use and perception, (3) a modified version of the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (mCIUS) assessing various factors associated with compulsive internet pornography use, (4) questions assessing emotional and sexual states relative to pornography use (EmSS), and (5) the 21-question version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21).

Results

Our results indicate that 56.6% of those surveyed reported lifetime pornography use, with a significantly higher proportion of males than females reporting such use. The majority of students reported accessing pornography through internet-related technologies. Additionally, 17.0, 20.4, and 13.5% of students reported severe or extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety and stress, respectively, with compulsive pornography use significantly affecting all three mental health parameters in both sexes. Exploratory Factor Analysis identified three factors suggesting emotional coping, dependence and preoccupation for the mCIUS items and three factors reflecting interoceptive, impotent, and extrinsic characteristics for the EmSS items. Regression analysis indicated that various demographics, items pertaining to reduced control and social impairment, and other variables pertaining to pornography use predicted mental health outcomes. Faith, morals and personal motivation were the primary variables reported to help reduce pornography use.

Conclusion

Our analyses indicate a significant relationship between mental health and pornography use, including behaviors reflecting behavioral addictions, highlighting the necessity for a better understanding and consideration of the potential contribution of internet pornography to negative mental health among university students.

Network Analysis of the Social Environment Relative to Preference for and Tolerance of Exercise Intensity in CrossFit Gyms

Known for its ability to improve fitness and health, high-intensity functional training (HIFT) focuses on functional movements completed at high intensities, often yielding outcomes superior to repetitive aerobic workouts. Preference for and tolerance of high-intensity exercise are associated with enjoyment of and adherence to HIFT. Similarly, the social environment present within CrossFit, a popular group-based HIFT modality, is important to the enjoyment of and adherence to HIFT. This study aimed to test whether preference and tolerance were related to social connections within CrossFit networks. Linear network autocorrelation models (LNAMs) and exponential random graph models (ERGMs) were computed on sociometric and attribute data from members of three CrossFit networks (n = 197). LNAMs showed the preference and tolerance scores of someone's social connections were associated with their own in all three gyms, and ERGMs demonstrated preference and tolerance scores were associated with the presence of social ties within all networks. This study is the first to provide evidence for a relationship between social connections and preference and tolerance. Future longitudinal research is needed to determine if the social environment may influence and optimize a person's preference of and tolerance for HIFT.